Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg made his NHL debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2023-24 season. In 37 games with the Lightning that campaign, he posted five assists, 105 hits, and a minus-15 rating. Overall, the young blueliner naturally had some growing pains in his first season with the Lightning but also showed promise.
The Lightning hoped that Lilleberg would take a step forward for them during the 2024-25 season, and it is absolutely fair to say he did just that. The 6-foot-3 defenseman cemented himself as a mainstay on the Lightning's blueline and became a nice part of their roster.
In 76 games this season with the Lightning, Lilleberg set new career highs with one goal, 18 assists, 19 points, 105 penalty minutes, and 114 penalty minutes. Overall, he provided the Lightning's blueline with more toughness and demonstrated that he was ready for the NHL level in the process.
With the Lightning being a team full of veterans, they certainly are looking for more of their younger players to break out as they look to keep their contender window open. Thus, seeing Lilleberg take a clear step forward this campaign was encouraging, and the Bolts will be hoping he continues to trend in the right direction from here. It will be fascinating to see what kind of season he puts together in 2025-26 from here.
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